Screen Actors Guild Gives ’12 Years A Slave’ Four Nominations

In a year that’s as rich in movies as this one is, the Screen Actors Guild nominations, announced this morning, add some clarity to the Oscar race.

SAG gave the most nominations – four – to “12 Years A Slave.” The Steve McQueen film, which is the frontrunner, received a SAG nomination for Best Film, and also received nominations for stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong’o and Michael Fassbender.

The SAG nominations are a good bellwether of the Academy Awards since actors make up the most sizable branch of the Academy voters. The SAG Best Ensemble choices are the closest category they have to Best Picture, and their five choices have a good track record when it comes to the Oscar Best Picture mix, which can include as many as 10 films.

The other SAG nominations for Best Ensemble went to  “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “August: Osage County,” “Dallas Buyers Club” and “American Hustle.”

Surprisingly “Nebraska” was left off the Best Ensemble list although it picked up a nod for Bruce Dern as Best Actor. “Gravity” and “All Is Lost” were not eligible for Best Ensemble, of course, because they essentially only have a cast of one.

Movies also left off of SAG’s Best Ensemble list, and which still have a good shot of snagging an Oscar nod for Best Film, include “Inside Llewyn Davis” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Fruitvale Station” and “Her,” all films which made it on the American Film Institute list of 10 best films of 2013 announced the other day.

Following closely after the four nods for “12 Years A Slave” were, with three nominations each, “August: Osage County,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” and “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.”  “Captain Philips,” “American Hustle” and “Nebraska” each received two nominations.

Tom Hanks, Forest Whitaker and Matthew McConaughey round out the Best Actor nominations. The surprise here is that Robert Redford is not on the list, although I think he’s still a strong contender for a Best Actor Oscar honor, especially since the Academy voters are a sentimental bunch and skew older.

The big news is that “Butler,” released back in August, is now a contender after being largely ignored by the critics’ groups last week. In a savvy move, The Weinstein Company brought the movie back into theaters last week and now the SAG nominations have given it a major boost. In a nice surprise, Oprah Winfrey was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actress honor. Whitaker, who had been left off critics’ lists last week, now looks like he could also be back in the running for an Oscar statuette.

The Best Actress nominees are all well known on the awards circuit. There are no newbies and there are no surprises, with nods going to Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Emma Thompson, Dame Judi Dench and Meryl Streep. This could be exactly as it will look for the Oscars.

In the wake of Paul Walker’s death, there is poignancy in the “Fast & Furious 6” SAG nomination for best action performance by a stunt ensemble.

A little more puzzling is the inclusion of “All Is Lost” in the stunt ensemble category with “Fast & Furious 6.” Robert Redford is the only actor in the film although he has some stunt doubles.

James Gandolfini’s nomination for Best Supporting Actor in “Enough Said” will also make for a heartbreaking moment during the live telecast.

On the small screen, top honors for Best Ensemble went to “Boardwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” “Downton Abbey,” “Game of Thrones”and “Homeland.”

The most SAG nominations, four, went to the final series of AMC’s “Breaking Bad.”

HBO was the big winner with 14 SAG nominations. The closest behind HBO: AMC and Showtime received five nods each.

Rita Moreno, who I saw recently in an elevator looking great, will receive a lifetime achievement award. She is a member of the rarified EGOT club, which means she has received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

The SAG Awards air on January 18th at 8pm/5pm on TBS and TNT. The complete list of nominations for the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards follows. A replay of both announcements will be available for viewing on sagawards.tntdrama.com and tbs.com.

Below is the list of nominees:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

• BRUCE DERN / Woody Grant – “NEBRASKA” (Paramount Pictures)
• CHIWETEL EJIOFOR / Solomon Northup – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• TOM HANKS / Capt. Richard Phillips – “CAPTAIN PHILLIPS” (Columbia Pictures)
• MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY / Ron Woodroof – “DALLAS BUYERS CLUB” (Focus Features)
• FOREST WHITAKER / Cecil Gaines – “LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

• CATE BLANCHETT / Jasmine – “BLUE JASMINE” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• SANDRA BULLOCK / Ryan Stone – “GRAVITY” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• JUDI DENCH / Philomena Lee – “PHILOMENA” (The Weinstein Company)
• MERYL STREEP / Violet Weston – “AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY” (The Weinstein Company)
• EMMA THOMPSON / P.L. Travers – “SAVING MR. BANKS” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

• BARKHAD ABDI / Muse – “CAPTAIN PHILLIPS” (Columbia Pictures)
• DANIEL BRÜHL / Niki Lauda – “RUSH” (Universal Pictures)
• MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Edwin Epps – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• JAMES GANDOLFINI / Albert – “ENOUGH SAID” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• JARED LETO / Rayon – “DALLAS BUYERS CLUB” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

• JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Rosalyn Rosenfeld – “AMERICAN HUSTLE” (Columbia Pictures)
• LUPITA NYONG’O / Patsey – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
• JULIA ROBERTS / Barbara Weston – “AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY” (The Weinstein Company)
• JUNE SQUIBB / Kate Grant – “NEBRASKA” (Paramount Pictures)
• OPRAH WINFREY / Gloria Gaines – “LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

12 YEARS A SLAVE (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

• BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / Ford
• PAUL DANO / Tibeats
• GARRET DILLAHUNT / Armsby
• CHIWETEL EJIOFOR / Solomon Northup
• MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Edwin Epps
• PAUL GIAMATTI / Freeman
• SCOOT McNAIRY / Brown
• LUPITA NYONG’O / Patsey
• ADEPERO ODUYE / Eliza
• SARAH PAULSON / Mistress Epps
• BRAD PITT / Bass
• MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / Robert
• ALFRE WOODARD / Mistress Shaw

AMERICAN HUSTLE (Columbia Pictures)

• AMY ADAMS / Sydney Prosser
• CHRISTIAN BALE / Irving Rosenfeld
• LOUIS C.K. / Stoddard Thorsen
• BRADLEY COOPER / Richie DiMaso
• PAUL HERMAN / Alfonse Simone
• JACK HUSTON / Pete Musane
• JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Rosalyn Rosenfeld
• ALESSANDRO NIVOLA / Federal Prosecutor
• MICHAEL PEÑA / Sheik (Agent Hernandez)
• JEREMY RENNER / Mayor Carmine Polito
• ELISABETH RÖHM / Dolly Polito
• SHEA WHIGHAM / Carl Elway

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (The Weinstein Company)

• ABIGAIL BRESLIN / Jean Fordham
• CHRIS COOPER / Charles Aiken
• BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / “Little” Charles Aiken
• JULIETTE LEWIS / Karen Weston
• MARGO MARTINDALE / Mattie Fae Aiken
• EWAN McGREGOR / Bill Fordham
• DERMOT MULRONEY / Steve
• JULIANNE NICHOLSON / Ivy Weston
• JULIA ROBERTS / Barbara Weston
• SAM SHEPARD / Beverly Weston
• MERYL STREEP / Violet Weston
• MISTY UPHAM / Johnna

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (Focus Features)

• JENNIFER GARNER / Dr. Eve Saks
• MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY / Ron Woodroof
• JARED LETO / Rayon
• DENIS O’HARE / Dr. Sevard
• DALLAS ROBERTS / David Wayne
• STEVE ZAHN / Tucker

LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER (The Weinstein Company)

• MARIAH CAREY / Hattie Pearl
• JOHN CUSACK / Richard Nixon
• JANE FONDA / Nancy Reagan
• CUBA GOODING, JR. / Carter Wilson
• TERRENCE HOWARD / Howard
• LENNY KRAVITZ / James Holloway
• JAMES MARSDEN / John F. Kennedy
• DAVID OYELOWO / Louis Gaines
• ALEX PETTYFER / Thomas Westfall
• VANESSA REDGRAVE / Annabeth Westfall
• ALAN RICKMAN / Ronald Reagan
• LIEV SCHREIBER / Lyndon B. Johnson
• FOREST WHITAKER / Cecil Gaines
• ROBIN WILLIAMS / Dwight D. Eisenhower
• OPRAH WINFREY / Gloria Gaines

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• MATT DAMON / Scott Thorson – “BEHIND THE CANDELABRA” (HBO)
• MICHAEL DOUGLAS / Liberace – “BEHIND THE CANDELABRA” (HBO)
• JEREMY IRONS / King Henry IV – “THE HOLLOW CROWN” (WNET/Thirteen)
• ROB LOWE / John F. Kennedy – “KILLING KENNEDY” (National Geographic Channel)
• AL PACINO / Phil Spector – “PHIL SPECTOR” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• ANGELA BASSETT / Coretta Scott King – “BETTY & CORETTA” (Lifetime)
• HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Elizabeth Taylor – “BURTON AND TAYLOR” (BBC America)
• HOLLY HUNTER / G.J. – “TOP OF THE LAKE” (Sundance Channel)
• HELEN MIRREN / Linda Kenney Baden – “PHIL SPECTOR” (HBO)
• ELISABETH MOSS / Robin Griffin – “TOP OF THE LAKE” (Sundance Channel)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

• STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson – “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)
• BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)
• JEFF DANIELS / Will McAvoy – “THE NEWSROOM” (HBO)
• PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
• KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

• CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison – “HOMELAND” (Showtime)
• ANNA GUNN / Skyler White – “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)
• JESSICA LANGE / Fiona Goode – “AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN” (FX)
• MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)
• KERRY WASHINGTON / Olivia Pope – “SCANDAL” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

• ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – “30 ROCK” (NBC)
• JASON BATEMAN / Michael Bluth – “ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT” (Netflix)
• TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
• DON CHEADLE / Martin “Marty” Kaan – “HOUSE OF LIES” (Showtime)
• JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper – “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

• MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler – “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)
• JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
• EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)
• TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – “30 ROCK” (NBC)
• JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Vice President Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)

• PATRICIA ARQUETTE / Sally Wheet
• MARGOT BINGHAM / Daughter Maitland
• STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson
• BRIAN GERAGHTY / Agent Warren Knox
• STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone
• ERIK LA RAY HARVEY / Dunn Purnsley
• JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow
• RON LIVINGSTON / Roy Phillips
• DOMENICK LOMBARDOZZI / Ralph Capone
• GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
• BEN ROSENFIELD / Willie Thompson
• MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein
• JACOB WARE / Agent Selby
• SHEA WHIGHAM / Elias “Eli” Thompson
• MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / “Chalky” White
• JEFFREY WRIGHT / Valentin Narcisse

BREAKING BAD (AMC)

• MICHAEL BOWEN / Uncle Jack
• BETSY BRANDT / Marie Schrader
• BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White
• LAVELL CRAWFORD / Huell
• TAIT FLETCHER / Lester
• LAURA FRASER / Lydia Rodarte-Quale
• ANNA GUNN / Skyler White
• MATTHEW T. METZLER / Matt
• RJ MITTE / Walter White Jr.
• DEAN NORRIS / Hank Schrader
• BOB ODENKIRK / Saul Goodman
• AARON PAUL / Jesse Pinkman
• JESSE PLEMONS / Todd
• STEVEN MICHAEL QUEZADA / Gomez
• KEVIN RANKIN / Kenny
• PATRICK SANE / Frankie

DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)

• HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
• LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
• JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
• BRENDAN COYLE / John Bates
• MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
• KEVIN DOYLE / Molesley
• JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY / Lady Sybil Crawley
• SIOBHAN FINNERAN / Sarah O’Brien
• JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates
• ROB JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow
• ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
• PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
• ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
• SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
• MATT MILNE / Alfred
• LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
• AMY NUTTALL / Ethel
• DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
• MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
• ED SPELEERS / Jimmy
• DAN STEVENS / Matthew Crawley
• CARA THEOBOLD / Ivy
• PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

• ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
• JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
• OONA CHAPLIN / Talisa Maegyr
• GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne of Tarth
• EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
• NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
• MACKENZIE CROOK / Orell
• CHARLES DANCE / Tywin Lannister
• JOE DEMPSIE / Gendry
• PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
• NATALIE DORMER / Margaery Tyrell
• NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
• MICHELLE FAIRLEY / Lady Catelyn Stark
• JACK GLEESON / Joffrey Baratheon
• IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont
• KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
• LENA HEADEY /Cersei Lannister
• ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Brandon “Bran” Stark
• KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
• PAUL KAYE / Thoros of Myr
• SIBEL KEKILLI / Shae
• ROSE LESLIE / Ygritte
• RICHARD MADDEN / Robb Stark
• RORY McCANN / Sandor “The Hound” Clegane
• MICHAEL McELHATTON / Roose Bolton
• IAN McELHINNEY / Barristan Selmy
• PHILIP McGINLEY / Anguy
• HANNAH MURRAY / Gilly
• IWAN RHEON / Ramsay Snow
• SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
• CARICE VAN HOUTEN / Melisandre
• MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark

HOMELAND (Showtime)

• F. MURRAY ABRAHAM / Dar Adal
• SARITA CHOUDHURY / Mira Berenson
• CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison
• RUPERT FRIEND / Peter Quinn
• TRACY LETTS / Sen. Andrew Lockhart
• DAMIAN LEWIS / Nicholas Brody
• MANDY PATINKIN / Saul Berenson
• MORGAN SAYLOR / Dana Brody

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

30 ROCK (NBC)

• SCOTT ADSIT / Pete Hornberger
• ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy
• KATRINA BOWDEN / Cerie
• KEVIN BROWN / Dot Com
• GRIZZ CHAPMAN / Grizz
• TINA FEY / Liz Lemon
• JUDAH FRIEDLANDER / Frank Rossitano
• JANE KRAKOWSKI / Jenna Maroney
• JOHN LUTZ / Lutz
• JAMES MARSDEN / Criss
• JACK McBRAYER / Kenneth Parcell
• TRACY MORGAN / Tracy Jordan
• KEITH POWELL / Toofer

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (Netflix)

• WILL ARNETT / George Oscar “G.O.B.” Bluth II
• JASON BATEMAN / Michael Bluth
• JOHN BEARD / Himself
• MICHAEL CERA / George-Michael Bluth
• DAVID CROSS / Tobias Fünke
• PORTIA DE ROSSI / Lindsay Bluth Fünke
• ISLA FISHER / Rebel Alley
• TONY HALE / Buster Bluth
• RON HOWARD / Narrator/Himself
• LIZA MINNELLI / Lucille Austero
• ALIA SHAWKAT / Maeby Fünke
• JEFFREY TAMBOR / George Bluth, Sr./Oscar Bluth
• JESSICA WALTER / Lucille Bluth
• HENRY WINKLER / Barry Zuckerkorn

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)

• MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
• KALEY CUOCO / Penny
• JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
• SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
• KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
• JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
• MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)

• JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
• TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
• AUBREY ANDERSON EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
• JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
• NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
• SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
• ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
• RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
• ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
• SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
• ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

VEEP (HBO)

• SUFE BRADSHAW / Sue Wilson
• ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
• GARY COLE / Kent Davidson
• KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
• TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
• JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Vice President Selina Meyer
• REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
• TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
• MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock

SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

• ALL IS LOST (Lionsgate)
• FAST & FURIOUS 6 (Universal Pictures)
• LONE SURVIVOR (Universal Pictures)
• RUSH (Universal Pictures)
• THE WOLVERINE (20th Century Fox)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

• BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
• BREAKING BAD (AMC)
• GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
• HOMELAND (Showtime)
• THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild 50th Annual Life Achievement Award

• RITA MORENO